In many jurisdictions, off-duty police officers are required or permitted to carry a handgun that is in some way concealed from the view of others who may be in proximity to the officers. This is particularly important to those who may be working “under cover.” Many of these officers may also wish to carry a concealed handgun in addition to the service weapon normally worn whale on duty. In addition, many states have enacted “right to carry” laws that permit a resident to carry a concealed handgun providing the resident has taken a prescribed handgun safety course, has no criminal record, has no outstanding restraining orders imposed by a court of law, and has passed a background check. Many states may not permit persons within the state to openly carry a handgun in public places.
Concealing a handgun may be accomplished by hiding it from view of others within a person's clothing or garments. While being hidden beneath layers of clothing may accomplish concealment, it may also make it difficult for the user to access the handgun expeditiously when confronted by danger. An example of this method of concealment is a shoulder holster carried beneath an armpit and covered with a jacket. Another example is a holster attached to a lower part of a leg. Both of these examples may limit the speed with which a user can access the handgun. Even a holster worn inside a belt and pant waist may require some form of clothing to conceal the presence of a handgun, such as having to wear a shirt tail outside the pants, which may make quick access difficult.
Another method of concealing a handgun is to enclose it within an article that appears to be something other than a holster for a handgun. The exterior façade may appear to be a carrying case for a mobile phone or pager. It may also be a fanny pack, bi-fold wallet or pouch used when hiking or participating in similar sporting activities. These implementations typically rely on mechanical snaps, zippers and hook-and-loop type fasteners to close an opening used to access the firearm, and usually require the use of two hands or extensive movements of the hands and arms. These enclosing devices may impede access to a handgun when it becomes necessary to access it quickly.
Although many new handgun designs have been dramatically reduced in size, thereby making it easier to conceal, prior art methods described in available literature for concealing a handgun are still encumbered with poor concealment and difficulty of quick access when required.